1988–89 Detroit Pistons season

The 1988–89 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 41st season in the NBA and 32nd season in the Detroit metropolitan area.^[1] The Pistons moved from the Pontiac Silverdome to the brand-new Palace of Auburn Hills before the start of the season.^[1]

1988–89 Detroit Pistons season
NBA champions
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coach	Chuck Daly
General manager	Jack McCloskey
Owner(s)	William Davidson
Arena	The Palace of Auburn Hills
Results
Record	63–19 (.768)
Place	Division: 1st (Central) Conference: 1st (Eastern)
Playoff finish	NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–0)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WKBD-TV (George Blaha, Dick Motta) PASS Sports (Fred McLeod, Tom Wilson)
Radio	WWJ (George Blaha, Dick Motta)
< 1987–88 1989–90 >

A ticket for a November 1988 game between the Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets.

The team won their first eight games of the season,^[2] and held a 31–13 record at the All-Star break.^[3] However, Adrian Dantley was unhappy with his role on the team, losing playing time to Dennis Rodman at the small forward position.^[4][5][6][7] At mid-season, the team traded Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for All-Star forward Mark Aguirre, a childhood friend of Isiah Thomas.^{[8][9][10][11][12]} Dantley felt that Thomas had a major role in engineering the trade, so that Aguirre could have the opportunity of winning a championship; an accusation that Thomas denied.^{[6][13][14][7]} The Pistons posted a nine-game winning streak in March, won eight consecutive games between March and April, then won their final five games, finishing with a league best record of 63–19.^[15][16]

Thomas led the team with 18.2 points, 8.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game,^{[17][18][19][20][21]} while Joe Dumars averaged 17.2 points and 5.7 assists per game, and Vinnie Johnson contributed 13.8 points per game. In addition, Bill Laimbeer provided the team with 13.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Rodman provided with 9.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game off the bench, and Rick Mahorn averaged 7.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.^[22] Dumars and Rodman were both named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Rodman finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[23][24] and in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting,^[25][26][27] and head coach Chuck Daly finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[28][29][30]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Pistons swept the Boston Celtics in three straight games,^{[31][32][33][34]} then swept the 5th-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in four straight games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.^{[35][36][37][38]} In the Eastern Conference Finals, they trailed 2–1 to Michael Jordan and the 6th-seeded Chicago Bulls, but managed to win the series in six games to advance to the NBA Finals,^{[39][40][41][42]} where the Pistons would win their first ever NBA championship, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games, as Dumars was named Finals MVP.^{[43][44][45][46][47]} This series was a rematch from last year's NBA Finals, with the Pistons avenging their NBA Finals loss.

Following the season, Mahorn was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA Expansion Draft, where he was selected by the newly expansion Minnesota Timberwolves.^{[48][49][50][51][52]} However, Mahorn never played for the Timberwolves due to a contract dispute, as he was then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers soon after.^{[53][54][55][56]} The Pistons and Lakers would face each other again 15 years later in the NBA Finals in 2004, where the Pistons won in five games en route to their third NBA championship, despite being underdogs to the heavily-favored Lakers.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
2	30	Fennis Dembo	Forward	United States	Wyoming
2	48	Micheal Williams	Guard	United States	Baylor

^[57]

Roster

1988–89 Detroit Pistons roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SF 23 Aguirre, Mark 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 232 lb (105 kg) 1959–12–10 DePaul SF 34 Dembo, Fennis 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1966–01–24 Wyoming SG 4 Dumars, Joe 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1963–05–24 McNeese State C 53 Edwards, James 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1955–11–22 Washington SG 15 Johnson, Vinnie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1956–09–01 Baylor C 40 Laimbeer, Bill 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1957–05–19 Notre Dame SG 25 Long, John 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1956–08–28 Detroit Mercy PF 44 Mahorn, Rick 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1958–09–21 Hampton SF 10 Rodman, Dennis 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1961–05–13 SE Oklahoma State PF 22 Salley, John 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1964–05–16 Georgia Tech PG 11 Thomas, Isiah 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1961–04–30 Indiana PG 24 Williams, Micheal 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1966–07–23 Baylor

Head coach Chuck Daly Assistant coach(es) Brendan Malone Dick Versace (until 1/5/1989) Brendan Suhr (hired 1/5/1989) Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

On February 15, 1989, the Pistons traded Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aguirre. Dantley was unhappy relegating the leadership role on the Pistons to Isiah Thomas, while Aguirre had clashed with his coaches and teammates in Dallas. Aguirre was more amenable to deferring to Thomas, and accepted his role in Chuck Daly's system. His ability to shoot the three, post up, run the floor, and pass was instrumental in the growth of the team.

Season standings

Central Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Detroit Pistons	63	19	.768	–	37–4	26–15	20–10
x-Cleveland Cavaliers	57	25	.695	6	37–4	20–21	19–11
x-Atlanta Hawks	52	30	.634	11	33–8	19–22	20–10
x-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	14	31–10	18–23	11–19
x-Chicago Bulls	47	35	.573	16	30–11	17–24	12–18
Indiana Pacers	28	54	.341	35	20–21	8–33	8–22

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Detroit Pistons	63	19	.768	–
2	y-New York Knicks	52	30	.634	11
3	x-Cleveland Cavaliers	57	25	.695	6
4	x-Atlanta Hawks	52	30	.634	11
5	x-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	14
6	x-Chicago Bulls	47	35	.573	16
7	x-Philadelphia 76ers	46	36	.561	17
8	x-Boston Celtics	42	40	.512	21
9	Washington Bullets	40	42	.488	23
10	Indiana Pacers	28	54	.341	35
11	New Jersey Nets	26	56	.317	37
12	Charlotte Hornets	20	62	.244	43

Record vs. opponents

1988–89 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	NJN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	3–1	4–1	4–2	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–5	1–1	1–1	5–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	6–0	4–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1
Boston	1–3	—	6–0	1–3	1–4	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–3	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	5–1	3–3	3–3	0–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–4
Charlotte	1–4	0–6	—	1–4	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–4	2–4	2–4	3–3	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–5
Chicago	2–4	3–1	4–1	—	0–6	2–0	1–1	0–6	1–1	1–1	4–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	6–0	2–2	3–2	1–3	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–1
Cleveland	2–4	4–1	4–0	6–0	—	2–0	2–0	3–3	1–1	1–1	5–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–3	4–0	2–2	3–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–2
Dallas	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	—	3–3	0–2	1–3	1–5	1–1	3–1	0–4	6–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	5–1	2–2	4–2	1–1
Denver	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–3	—	1–1	3–1	4–2	1–1	2–2	1–3	5–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	3–3	2–2	3–3	1–1
Detroit	5–1	3–1	4–0	6–0	3–3	2–0	1–1	—	1–1	1–1	4–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–4	4–0	0–4	5–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	5–0
Golden State	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–3	1–1	—	1–3	1–1	5–1	2–3	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–4	2–4	2–3	3–1	2–4	2–2	1–1
Houston	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	5–1	2–4	1–1	3–1	—	2–0	2–2	1–3	4–2	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	6–0	2–2	2–4	0–2
Indiana	1–5	3–2	2–2	2–4	1–5	1–1	1–1	2–4	1–1	0–2	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–4	1–3	0–5	0–4	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–3
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–5	2–2	1–1	—	1–5	1–3	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–5	1–5	2–3	3–1	1–4	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	4–0	3–1	0–2	3–2	3–1	2–0	5–1	—	4–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–3	5–0	5–1	3–1	4–2	1–3	1–1
Miami	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–6	1–5	0–2	0–4	2–4	1–1	3–1	0–4	—	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–4	0–4	1–5	0–2
Milwaukee	0–6	2–2	4–0	0–6	3–3	2–0	2–0	4–2	2–0	1–1	4–2	2–0	1–1	2–0	—	4–1	1–3	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–1
New Jersey	1–4	1–5	4–2	2–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–4	—	2–4	1–5	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–5
New York	2–2	3–3	4–2	2–3	2–2	2–0	1–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	5–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	4–2	—	2–4	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	5–1
Philadelphia	2–2	3–3	3–3	3–1	2–3	1–1	1–1	0–5	1–1	2–0	4–0	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–3	5–1	4–2	—	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–2
Phoenix	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1	3–1	0–2	4–2	3–1	1–1	5–1	3–3	4–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	—	2–3	5–1	3–1	4–1	2–2	2–0
Portland	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–2	1–1	4–2	1–3	0–2	5–1	0–5	4–0	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	3–2	—	3–3	4–0	2–4	0–4	1–1
Sacramento	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	1–3	0–2	3–2	2–2	1–1	3–2	1–5	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–5	3–3	—	2–2	1–5	1–3	0–2
San Antonio	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–5	3–3	0–2	1–3	0–6	0–2	1–3	1–3	4–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–4	2–2	—	0–4	1–5	1–1
Seattle	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	4–2	2–2	1–1	4–1	2–4	4–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–4	4–2	5–1	4–0	—	3–1	1–1
Utah	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–4	3–3	0–2	2–2	4–2	1–1	3–1	3–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	5–1	1–3	—	2–0
Washington	1–3	4–2	5–1	1–3	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–5	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–4	5–1	1–5	2–4	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	—

Game log

Regular season

1988–89 game log Total: 63–19 (Home: 37–4; Road: 26–15)
November: 11–3 (home: 4–1; road: 7–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 November 4 8:30 p.m. EST @ Chicago W 107–94 Dantley (22) Mahorn (10) Thomas (14) Chicago Stadium 18,420 1–0 2 November 5 7:30 p.m. EST Charlotte W 94–85 Dantley (18) Laimbeer (12) Dumars, Thomas (7) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 2–0 3 November 8 7:30 p.m. EST @ Philadelphia W 116–109 Dumars (30) Laimbeer (11) Dumars, Thomas (9) The Spectrum 10,115 3–0 4 November 9 7:30 p.m. EST Atlanta W 101–95 Thomas (21) Laimbeer (13) Thomas (12) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 4–0 5 November 11 8:00 p.m. EST @ Boston W 116–107 Dantley (31) Mahorn (6) Thomas (10) Boston Garden 14,890 5–0 6 November 15 8:30 p.m. EST @ Dallas W 108–99 Laimbeer (23) Laimbeer (21) Thomas (12) Reunion Arena 17,007 6–0 7 November 16 8:30 p.m. EST @ San Antonio W 94–88 Dumars (20) Mahorn (10) Thomas (8) HemisFair Arena 11,991 7–0 8 November 18 9:30 p.m. EST @ Phoenix W 121–105 Dumars (31) Rodman (12) Thomas (11) Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 14,471 8–0 9 November 19 8:30 p.m. EST @ Houston L 98–109 Thomas (26) Rodman (12) Thomas (6) The Summit 16,611 8–1 10 November 22 7:30 p.m. EST @ Charlotte W 99–93 Dumars (26) Mahorn (10) Thomas (8) Charlotte Coliseum 23,389 9–1 11 November 23 7:30 p.m. EST New York L 111–133 Dantley (25) Laimbeer, Rodman (9) Thomas (11) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 9–2 12 November 26 8:30 p.m. EST L.A. Lakers W 102–99 Dumars (20) Mahorn (11) Thomas (10) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 10–2 13 November 29 7:30 p.m. EST @ Indiana L 98–107 Laimbeer (22) Laimbeer (10) Thomas (12) Market Square Arena 10,275 10–3 14 November 30 7:30 p.m. EST Indiana W 114–111 Thomas (36) Laimbeer (9) Thomas (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 11–3
December: 9–4 (home: 6–1; road: 3–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 15 December 2 8:00 p.m. EST @ Washington W 120–114 Dantley (28) Mahorn (8) Thomas (10) Capital Centre 12,606 12–3 16 December 4 7:30 p.m. EST @ New Jersey W 102–99 Dantley (21) Mahorn (12) Thomas (8) Brendan Byrne Arena 12,517 13–3 17 December 6 8:30 p.m. EST @ Milwaukee L 84–109 Dantley (17) Laimbeer (6) Laimbeer (6) Bradley Center 15,619 13–4 18 December 7 7:30 p.m. EST Chicago W 102–89 Dantley (31) Laimbeer (12) Thomas (13) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 14–4 19 December 9 8:00 p.m. EST @ Atlanta W 92–82 Dumars (24) Laimbeer, Rodman, Salley (8) Dumars (6) The Omni 16,374 15–4 20 December 10 7:30 p.m. EST Philadelphia W 106–100 Thomas (37) Laimbeer (15) Laimbeer (7) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 16–4 21 December 14 7:30 p.m. EST Milwaukee L 110–119 Dantley (22) Laimbeer (12) Thomas (12) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 16–5 22 December 15 7:30 p.m. EST @ Cleveland L 98–119 Dumars (16) Rodman (10) Williams (7) Richfield Coliseum 18,718 16–6 23 December 17 7:30 p.m. EST Charlotte W 100–91 Thomas (25) Mahorn (12) Thomas (7) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 17–6 24 December 20 7:30 p.m. EST Miami W 116–100 Johnson (22) Rodman (9) Thomas (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 18–6 25 December 22 7:30 p.m. EST @ New York L 85–88 Johnson (19) Mahorn (14) Yhomas (7) Madison Square Garden 19,591 18–7 26 December 28 7:30 p.m. EST Phoenix W 106–100 Dantley (24) Rodman (14) Dumars (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 19–7 27 December 30 8:00 p.m. EST Houston W 95–83 Dumars (28) Laimbeer, Mahorn (13) Dantley, Laimbeer, Thomas (5) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 20–7
January: 8–6 (home: 7–2; road: 1–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 28 January 3 7:30 p.m. EST @ Atlanta L 104–123 Thomas (28) Rodman (8) Thomas (6) The Omni 16,371 20–8 29 January 6 8:00 p.m. EST Atlanta W 111–88 Laimbeer, Thomas (19) Laimbeer (10) Thomas (12) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 21–8 30 January 7 7:30 p.m. EST @ Indiana L 99–113 Thomas (31) Rodman (12) Thomas (8) Market Square Arena 16,105 21–9 31 January 11 7:30 p.m. EST New York L 93–100 Laimbeer (21) Rodman (10) Thomas (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 21–10 32 January 13 8:00 p.m. EST Washington W 119–103 Dantley (35) Laimbeer (14) Thomas (8) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 22–10 33 January 15 2:30 p.m. EST @ Milwaukee L 112–120 Thomas (25) Laimbeer (10) Thomas (13) Bradley Center 18,633 22–11 34 January 16 7:30 p.m. EST Boston W 96–87 Johnson (21) Laimbeer (12) Thomas (10) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 23–11 35 January 18 7:30 p.m. EST New Jersey W 103–90 Dantley (24) Rodman (16) Johnson, Thomas (6) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 24–11 36 January 20 8:00 p.m. EST Indiana W 132–99 Laimbeer (27) Laimbeer, Rodman (11) Thomas (12) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 25–11 37 January 22 12 Noon EST @ Boston L 99–112 Thomas (26) Salley (11) Salley, Thomas (5) Boston Garden 14,890 25–12 38 January 25 7:30 p.m. EST Golden State W 105–104 Thomas (27) Rodman (16) Thomas (8) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 26–12 39 January 27 8:00 p.m. EST Cleveland L 79–80 Johnson, Thomas (22) Rodman (17) Thomas (5) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 26–13 40 January 29 7:00 p.m. EST Sacramento W 122–97 Rodman (24) Rodman (16) Thomas (15) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 27–13 41 January 31 8:00 p.m. EST @ Chicago W 104–98 (OT) Thomas (34) Rodman (14) Dantley (8) Chicago Stadium 18,288 28–13
February: 8–3 (home: 4–0; road: 4–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 42 February 3 8:00 p.m. EST @ Philadelphia W 124–106 Dantley (33) Laimbeer, Salley, Thomas (7) Thomas (7) The Spectrum 15,268 29–13 43 February 5 2:00 p.m. EST Chicago W 113–102 Johnson (27) Rodman (13) Thomas (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 30–13 44 February 8 7:30 p.m. EST Milwaukee W 107–96 Laimbeer (22) Rodman (12) Thomas (14) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 31–13 All-Star Break 45 February 14 10:30 p.m. EST @ L.A. Lakers W 111–103 Dumars, Thomas (23) Rodman (15) Thomas (15) Great Western Forum 17,505 32–13 46 February 16 10:30 p.m. EST @ Sacramento W 95–84 Dumars, Johnson, Laimbeer (20) Rodman (15) Thomas (14) ARCO Arena 16,517 33–13 47 February 18 10:00 p.m. EST @ Golden State L 119–121 (OT) Laimbeer, Rodman (32) Rodman (21) Thomas (13) Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena 15,025 33–14 48 February 20 4:00 p.m. EST @ Denver L 101–103 Johnson (21) Laimbeer (16) Thomas (10) McNichols Sports Arena 17,022 33–15 49 February 22 7:30 p.m. EST Portland W 105–94 Dumars (19) Rodman (15) Thomas (12) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 34–15 50 February 25 7:30 p.m. EST @ New Jersey W 113–95 Aguirre (31) Mahorn (9) Dumars (10) Brendan Byrne Arena 20,049 35–15 51 February 26 7:00 p.m. EST L.A. Clippers W 110–98 Thomas (21) Rodman (13) Thomas (11) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 36–15 52 February 28 8:00 p.m. EST @ Cleveland L 99–115 Aguirre, Thomas (28) Rodman (11) Thomas (13) Richfield Coliseum 20,246 36–16
March: 16–1 (home: 9–0; road: 7–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 53 March 1 7:30 p.m. EST Utah W 96–85 Johnson (34) Laimbeer (13) Dumars (7) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 37–16 54 March 3 8:00 p.m. EST Cleveland W 96–90 Laimbeer (24) Laimbeer (14) Thomas (11) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 38–16 55 March 5 7:30 p.m. EST @ Miami W 109–100 Johnson, Thomas (22) Rodman (10) Thomas (8) Miami Arena 15,008 39–16 56 March 6 7:30 p.m. EST Denver W 129–116 Dumars (25) Mahorn (19) Thomas (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 40–16 57 March 8 7:30 p.m. EST Seattle W 112–96 Thomas (27) Laimbeer (19) Thomas (12) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 41–16 58 March 11 7:30 p.m. EST @ Philadelphia W 111–106 Thomas (34) Laimbeer (16) Thomas (8) The Spectrum 17,678 42–16 59 March 12 7:00 p.m. EST Washington W 110–104 Laimbeer (24) Laimbeer (16) Thomas (8) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 43–16 60 March 14 7:30 p.m. EST @ Indiana W 129–117 Dumars (30) Johnson (7) Dumars (8) Market Square Arena 12,031 44–16 61 March 17 8:00 p.m. EST Boston W 106–98 Johnson (30) Laimbeer, Rodman (10) Dumars (7) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 45–16 62 March 18 9:00 p.m. EST @ Milwaukee L 100–117 Aguirre, Johnson (14) Rodman (13) Dumars (9) Bradley Center 18,633 45–17 63 March 21 8:00 p.m. EST @ Atlanta W 110–95 Thomas (26) Laimbeer (12) Dumars (9) The Omni 16,371 46–17 64 March 22 7:30 p.m. EST San Antonio W 115–94 Laimbeer (21) Laimbeer (10) Thomas (10) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 47–17 65 March 24 8:00 p.m. EST New Jersey W 112–96 Dumars (35) Aguirre (11) Thomas (11) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 48–17 66 March 25 7:30 p.m. EST @ Charlotte W 113–101 Dumars (18) Laimbeer (11) Thomas (6) Charlotte Coliseum 23,388 49–17 67 March 27 7:30 p.m. EST Dallas W 90–77 Thomas (30) Laimbeer, Rodman (11) Dumars (6) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 50–17 68 March 29 9:30 p.m. EST @ Utah W 108–104 Thomas (25) Mahorn (11) Thomas (8) Salt Palace 12,444 51–17 69 March 31 10:00 p.m. EST @ Seattle W 111–108 Dumars (27) Rodman (7) Dumars, Thomas (4) Seattle Center Coliseum 14,810 52–17
April: 11–2 (home: 7–0; road: 4–2) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 70 April 2 9:00 p.m. EDT @ L.A. Clippers W 117–101 Dumars (23) Laimbeer (18) Dumars, Thomas (7) Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 14,309 54–16 71 April 4 10:30 p.m. EDT @ Portland L 100–118 Rodman (16) Rodman (18) Dumars (6) Memorial Coliseum 12,880 53–18 72 April 6 7:30 p.m. EDT Chicago W 115–108 Dumars (20) Laimbeer (22) Thomas (10) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 54–18 73 April 7 8:00 p.m. EDT @ Chicago W 114–112 (OT) Johnson (30) Mahorn (11) Dumars, Johnson (8) Chicago Stadium 18,678 55–18 74 April 9 7:00 p.m. EDT Milwaukee W 100–91 Aguirre (20) Aguirre (11) Dumars (13) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 56–18 75 April 10 7:30 p.m. EDT @ Washington W 124–100 Laimbeer (27) Laimbeer (11) Dumars (11) Capital Centre 11,305 57–18 76 April 12 7:30 p.m. EDT Cleveland W 107–95 Johnson (31) Mahorn (11) Dumars (11) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 58–18 77 April 14 8:00 p.m. EDT @ New York L 100–104 Laimbeer (19) Rodman (10) Dumars (8) Madison Square Garden 19,591 58–19 78 April 16 7:00 p.m. EDT Washington W 104–98 Aguirre (19) Laimbeer (10) Dumars, Thomas (7) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 59–19 79 April 18 7:30 p.m. EDT @ Cleveland W 118–102 Dumars (42) Mahorn (11) Dumars (11) Richfield Coliseum 20,273 60–19 80 April 19 7:30 p.m. EDT Indiana W 115–105 Dumars (20) Rodman (14) Dumars (11) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 61–19 81 April 21 8:00 p.m. EDT Philadelphia W 100–91 Aguirre (22) Mahorn (9) Dumars (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 62–19 82 April 23 3:30 p.m. EDT Atlanta W 99–81 Johnson (23) Rodman (13) Dumars (4) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 63–19
1988–89 schedule

Playoffs

1989 playoff game log
Eastern Conference First Round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 April 28 8:00 p.m. EDT Boston W 101–91 Dumars (25) Laimbeer (12) Thomas (10) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 1–0 2 April 30 3:30 p.m. EDT Boston W 102–95 Thomas (26) Laimbeer (15) Thomas (8) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 2–0 3 May 2 8:00 p.m. EDT @ Boston W 100–85 Johnson (25) Rodman (9) Thomas (10) Boston Garden 14,890 3–0
Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 May 10 8:00 p.m. EDT Milwaukee W 85–80 Laimbeer (19) Laimbeer (17) Dumars (6) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 1–0 2 May 12 8:00 p.m. EDT Milwaukee W 112–92 Salley (23) Rodman (13) Thomas (10) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 2–0 3 May 14 3:30 p.m. EDT @ Milwaukee W 110–90 Thomas (26) Laimbeer (11) Dumars (10) Bradley Center 18,633 3–0 4 May 15 8:00 p.m. EDT @ Milwaukee W 96–94 Dumars (22) Thomas (10) Thomas (13) Bradley Center 18,633 4–0
Eastern Conference Finals: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 May 21 1:00 p.m. EDT Chicago L 88–94 Mahorn (17) Laimbeer (15) Thomas (10) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 0–1 2 May 23 8:00 p.m. EDT Chicago W 100–91 Thomas (33) Rodman (12) Thomas (4) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 1–1 3 May 27 2:00 p.m. EDT @ Chicago L 97–99 Aguirre (25) Rodman (13) Thomas (11) Chicago Stadium 18,676 1–2 4 May 29 3:00 p.m. EDT @ Chicago W 86–80 Thomas (27) Rodman (18) Thomas (6) Chicago Stadium 18,676 2–2 5 May 31 8:00 p.m. EDT Chicago W 94–85 Johnson (22) Rodman (14) Thomas (12) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 3–2 6 June 2 9:00 p.m. EDT @ Chicago W 103–94 Thomas (33) Rodman (15) Dumars (9) Chicago Stadium 18,676 4–2
NBA Finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Series 1 June 6 9:00 p.m. EDT L.A. Lakers W 109–97 Thomas (24) Aguirre, Rodman (10) Thomas (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 1–0 2 June 8 9:00 p.m. EDT L.A. Lakers W 108–105 Dumars (33) Aguirre (6) Thomas (7) The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454 2–0 3 June 11 3:30 p.m. EDT @ L.A. Lakers W 114–110 Dumars (31) Rodman (19) Thomas (8) Great Western Forum 17,505 3–0 4 June 13 9:00 p.m. EDT @ L.A. Lakers W 105–97 Dumars (23) Johnson, Laimbeer (6) Dumars, Johnson, Thomas (5) Great Western Forum 17,505 4–0
1989 schedule

Playoffs

After finishing with the best record in the NBA, the Pistons swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference finals, they faced the Chicago Bulls, whom they had defeated in the conference semifinals a year earlier. Although the Bulls were able to win two of the first three games, the Pistons' use of their "Jordan Rules" defense wore out Michael Jordan, setting up Detroit's second consecutive NBA Finals appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Game officials

Pre season

Regular season

Game	Date	Opponent	Officials
1	11–4–1988	@ Chicago	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 40 Mike Lauerman
2	11–5–1988	Charlotte
3	11–8–1988	@ Philadelphia	No. 9 Bruce Alexander, No. 50 Lee Jones, No. 8 Lee Jones
4	11–9–1988	Atlanta	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 53 Jim Kinsey
5	11–11–1988	@ Boston	No. 25 Hugh Evans, Jim Huetter, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
6	11–15–1988	@ Dallas	No. 41 Ken Mauer, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
7	11–16–1988	@ San Antonio
8	11–18–1988	@ Phoenix	No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 14 Jack Madden
9	11–19–1988	@ Houston	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 25 Hugh Evans, Jim Huetter
10	11–22–1988	@ Charlotte
11	11–23–1988	New York	No. 63 Ted Bernhardt, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
12	11–26–1988	L.A. Lakers	No. 30 Gary Benson, No. 43 Dan Crawford, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
13	11–29–1988	@ Indiana	No. 40 Mike Lauerman, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 44 Ron Olesiak
14	11–30–1988	Indiana	No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 10 Dareel Garretson, No. 23 Ron Garretson
15	12–2–1988	@ Washington	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
16	12–4–1988	@ New Jersey
17	12–6–1988	@ Milwaukee	No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 24 Bill Saar, No. 57 Greg Willard
18	12–7–1988	Chicago	No. 33 Joe Borgia, No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 8 Lee Jones
19	12–9–1988	@ Atlanta	No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 54 Woody Mayfield
20	12–10–1988	Philadelphia	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 28 Tommy Nunez, No. 39 Tommie Wood
21	12–14–1988	Milwaukee	No. 25 Hugh Evans, Jim Huetter, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
22	12–15–1988	@ Cleveland	No. 19 Jim Capers, No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 8 Lee Jomes
23	12–17–1988	Charlotte
24	12–20–1988	Miami
25	12–22–1988	@ New York	No. 28 Tommy Nunez, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell, No. 44 Ron Olesiak
26	12–28–1988	Phoenix	No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 40 Mike Lauerman, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell
27	12–30–1988	Houston	Ted Bernhardt, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
28	1–3–1989	@ Atlanta	No. 30 Gary Benson, No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
29	1–6–1989	Atlanta	No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 13 Mike Mathis, Mo. 39 Jess Thompson
30	1–7–1989	@ Indiana	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 37 Blaine Reichelt
31	1–11–1989	New York	No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 44 Ron Olesiak
32	1–13–1989	Washington	No. 26 Bob Delaney, Jim Huetter, No. 20 Jess Kersey
33	1–15–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 9 Bruce Alexander, No. 12 Earl Strom, No. 39 Jess Thompson
34	1–16–1989	Boston	No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 14 Jack Madden
35	1–18–1989	New Jersey
36	1–20–1989	Indiana	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 53 Jim Kinsey
37	1–22–1989	@ Boston	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
38	1–25–1989	Golden State	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
39	1–27–1989	Cleveland	No. 35 Jack Nies, No. 21 Bill Oakes, No. 58 Derrick Stafford
40	1–29–1989	Sacramento
41	1–31–1989	@ Chicago	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 23 Ron Garretson, Rusty Herring
42	2–3–1989	@ Philadelphia	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 55 George Toliver
43	2–5–1989	Chicago	No. 33 Joe Borgia, No. 8 Lee Jones, No. 12 Earl Strom
44	2–8–1989	Milwaukee	No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 13 Mike Mathis
45	2–14–1989	@ L.A. Lakers	No. 21 Bill Oakes, No. 24 Bill Saar, No. 56 Don Vaden
46	2–16–1989	@ Sacramento
47	2–18–1989	@ Golden State	No. 40 Mike Lauerman, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 58 Derrick Stafford
48	2–20–1989	@ Denver	Jim Huetter, No. 35 Jack Nies, No. 12 Earl Strom
49	2–22–1989	Portland	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 41 Ken Mauer, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
50	2–25–1989	@ New Jersey
51	2–26–1989	L.A. Clippers
52	2–28–1989	@ Cleveland	No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell, No. 58 Derrick Stafford
53	3–1–1989	Utah	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 18 Ed Middleton, No. 56 Don Vaden
54	3–3–1989	Cleveland	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 35 Jack Nies, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
55	3–5–1989	@ Miami
56	3–6–1989	Denver	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
57	3–8–1989	Seattle	Jim Huetter, No. 8 Lee Jones, No. 12 Earl Strom
58	3–11–1989	@ Philadelphia	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 51 Luis Grillo, No. 40 Mike Lauerman
59	3–12–1989	Washington	No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 39 Jess Thompson
60	3–14–1989	@ Indiana	Rusty Herring, No. 42 Hue Holline, No. 18 Ed Middleton
61	3–17–1989	Boston	No. 29 Steve Javie, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 21 Bill Oakes
62	3–18–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 30 Gary Benson, No. 43 Dan Crawford, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
63	3–21–1989	@ Atlanta	No. 20 Jess Jersey, No. 41 Ken Mauer, No. 16 Wally Rooney
64	3–22–1989	San Antonio
65	3–24–1989	New Jersey
66	3–25–1989	@ Charlotte
67	3–27–1989	Dallas	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 34 Ronnie Nunn
68	3–29–1989	@ Utah	No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
69	3–31–1989	@ Seattle	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 44 Ron Olesiak, No. 37 Blaine Reichelt
70	4–2–1989	@ L.A. Clippers
71	4–4–1989	@ Portland	No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 50 Nolan Fine, No. 13 Mike Mathis
72	4–6–1989	Chicago	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 29 Steve Javie
73	4–7–1989	@ Chicago	No. 19 Jim Capers, No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
74	4–9–1989	Milwaukee	No. 9 Bruce Alexander, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 12 Earl Strom
75	4–10–1989	@ Washington	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 40 Mike Lauerman
76	4–12–1989	Cleveland	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 16 Wally Rooney, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
77	4–14–1989	@ New York	No. 46 Hank Armstrong, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
78	4–16–1989	Washington	No. 7 Bernie Fryer, No. 22 Paul Mihalak, No. 35 Jack Nies
79	4–18–1989	@ Cleveland	No. 43 Dan Crawford, No. 21 Bill Oakes, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
80	4–19–1989	Indiana	No. 31 Terry Durham, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 54 Woody Mayfield
81	4–21–1989	Philadelphia	No. 26 Bob Delaney, No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 34 Ronnie Nunn
82	4–23–1989	Atlanta	No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 49 Jim Clark, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell

Playoffs

Game	Round	Date	Opponent	Officials	Alternate
1	Eastern Conference First Round	4–28–1989	Boston	No. 12 Earl Strom, No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 18 Ed Middleton
2	Eastern Conference First Round	4–30–1989	Boston	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 23 Ron Garretson, No. 21 Bill Oakes
3	Eastern Conference First Round	5–2–1989	@ Boston	No. 4 Ed T. Rush, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 32 Eddie F. Rush
1	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–10–1989	Milwaukee	No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 27 Dick Bavetta, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
2	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–12–1989	Milwaukee	No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 15 Bennett Salvatore
3	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–14–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 29 Steve Javie
4	Eastern Conference Semifinals	5–15–1989	@ Milwaukee	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 45 Joe Forte, No. 7 Bernie Fryer
1	Eastern Conference Finals	5–21–1989	Chicago	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 28 Tommy Nunez
2	Eastern Conference Finals	5–23–1989	Chicago	No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 12 Earl Strom, No. 24 Bill Saar
3	Eastern Conference Finals	5–27–1989	@ Chicago	No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 4 Ed T. Rush, No. 21 Bill Oakes
4	Eastern Conference Finals	5–29–1989	@ Chicago	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell, No. 16 Wally Rooney
5	Eastern Conference Finals	5–31–1989	Chicago	No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 42 Hue Hollins, No. 27 Dick Bavetta
6	Eastern Conference Finals	6–2–1989	@ Chicago	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 12 Earl Strom
1	NBA Finals	6–6–1989	L.A. Lakers	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 11 Jake O'Donnell
2	NBA Finals	6–8–1989	L.A. Lakers	No. 17 Joe Crawford, No. 10 Darell Garretson, No. 42 Hue Hollins
3	NBA Finals	6–11–1989	@ L.A. Lakers	No. 25 Hugh Evans, No. 13 Mike Mathis, No. 4 Ed T. Rush
4	NBA Finals	6–13–1989	@ L.A. Lakers	No. 20 Jess Kersey, No. 14 Jack Madden, No. 12 Earl Strom

Player stats

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Mark Aguirre	36	32	29.7	.483	.293	.738	4.2	2.5	.44	.19	15.5
Adrian Dantley	42	42	31.9	.521	.000	.839	3.9	2.2	.55	.14	18.4
Darryl Dawkins	14	0	3.4	.474	.000	.500	.5	.1	.00	.07	1.9
Fennis Dembo	31	0	2.4	.333	.000	.800	.7	.2	.03	.00	1.2
Joe Dumars	69	67	34.9	.505	.483	.850	2.5	5.7	.91	.07	17.2
James Edwards	76	1	16.5	.500	.000	.686	3.0	.6	.14	.41	7.3
Steve Harris	3	0	2.3	.250	.000	1.000	.7	.0	.33	.00	1.3
Vinnie Johnson	82	21	25.3	.464	.295	.734	3.1	3.0	.90	.21	13.8
Bill Laimbeer	81	81	32.6	.499	.349	.840	9.6	2.2	.63	1.23	13.7
John Long	24	1	6.3	.475	.000	.846	.5	.6	.00	.08	2.0
Rick Mahorn	72	61	24.9	.517	.000	.748	6.9	.8	.56	.92	7.2
Pace Mannion	5	0	2.8	1.000	.000	.000	.6	.0	.20	.00	.8
Dennis Rodman	82	8	26.9	.595	.231	.626	9.4	1.2	.67	.93	9.0
Jim Rowinski	6	0	1.3	.000	.000	1.000	.3	.0	.00	.00	.7
John Salley	67	21	21.8	.498	.000	.692	5.0	1.1	.60	1.07	7.0
Isiah Thomas	80	76	36.6	.464	.273	.818	3.4	8.3	1.66	.25	18.2
Micheal Williams	49	0	7.3	.364	.222	.660	.6	1.4	.27	.06	2.6

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Mark Aguirre	17	17	27.2	.489	.276	.737	4.4	1.6	.47	.18	12.6
Fennis Dembo	2	0	2.0	1.000	.000	.000	.0	.0	.00	.00	1.0
Joe Dumars	17	17	36.5	.455	.083	.861	2.6	5.6	.71	.06	17.6
James Edwards	17	0	18.6	.471	.000	.784	2.1	.7	.06	.47	7.1
Vinnie Johnson	17	0	21.9	.455	.417	.758	2.6	2.5	.24	.18	14.1
Bill Laimbeer	17	17	29.2	.465	.357	.806	8.2	1.8	.35	.47	10.1
John Long	4	0	2.0	1.000	.000	1.000	.0	.0	.00	.00	1.2
Rick Mahorn	17	17	21.2	.580	.000	.654	5.1	.4	.53	.76	5.7
Dennis Rodman	17	0	24.1	.529	.000	.686	10.0	.9	.35	.71	5.8
John Salley	17	0	23.1	.586	.000	.667	4.6	.5	.53	1.47	8.9
Isiah Thomas	17	17	37.2	.412	.267	.740	4.3	8.3	1.59	.24	18.2
Micheal Williams	4	0	1.5	.000	.000	1.000	.5	.5	.25	.00	.5

NBA Finals

Main article: 1989 NBA Finals

The Pistons' overpowering play allowed them to sweep the Lakers, who struggled to fill the defensive void left by Byron Scott's injury prior to the start of the Finals. Joe Dumars was named Finals MVP. In addition, Magic Johnson pulled a hamstring early in the second game, and unable to play the rest of the series. The Lakers' depleted backcourt allowed the Pistons to easily win the 1988–89 NBA Championship.

Game	Home Team	Road Team	series
Game 1	Detroit 109	L.A. Lakers 97	1–0
Game 2	Detroit 108	L.A. Lakers 105	2–0
Game 3:	L.A. Lakers 110	Detroit 114	3–0
Game 4:	L.A. Lakers 97	Detroit 105	4–0

Pistons win series 4–0

Award winners

• Joe Dumars, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
• Joe Dumars, NBA All-Defensive First Team
• Dennis Rodman, NBA All-Defensive First Team

External links

• Detroit Pistons on Database Basketball
• Detroit Pistons on Basketball Reference

References

1. "1988–89 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
2. "Detroit Pistons at Phoenix Suns Box Score, November 18, 1988". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
3. "NBA Games Played on February 9, 1989". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
4. Waitzkin, Fred (January 8, 1989). "What Drives the Pistons". The New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
5. "Pistons Halt an Uneasy Marriage; Adrian Dantley Sent Packing for a Younger Man". Mitch Albom. Detroit Free Press. February 16, 1989. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
6. McCallum, Jack (March 6, 1989). "And the Winner Is...; Who Got the Better Deal, Detroit in Mark Aguirre or Dallas in Adrian Dantley?". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
7. "Dantley Was Ushered Out of Detroit Before He Could Win a Title". Vintage Detroit. March 19, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
8. "Mavericks Trade Aguirre to Pistons". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 15, 1989. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
9. Mike, Rabun (February 15, 1989). "The Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons Wednesday Exchanged All-Star..." United Press International. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
10. "Dantley Traded for Aguirre". Deseret News. February 15, 1989. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
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